Lindborg-Cregg Field
Missoula, MT
Review by Mike
When you drive up to Lindborg-Cregg Field, on the far outskirts of Missoula, Montana, you think that this is a very nice local ballpark, perfect for American Legion, adult league and maybe even semi-pro baseball. As a one-year stopgap for a minor league team awaiting a new ballpark... sure. Then you learn that the Pioneer League's Missoula Osprey played here for FIVE YEARS!
I spoke to a member of the Osprey front office and he told me that this was never the plan, but legal, environmental and construction delays at Ogren Park resulted in this franchise spending half-a-decade in the wilderness.
The ballpark itself is quite a nice little outpost, with a simple concrete grandstand behind home plate. Down each foul line are two, yes, two rows of seats right along the fence and a pair of tiny erector-set grandstands, each with a canvas canopy for a sunroof. Interestingly, the main grandstand has no shade, just these little sets of seats down the lines.
It should be noted that when the Osprey played here, there were many additional seats by way of larger bleachers down each baseline and out in right field. The capacity at the time was 2,200. Still, I can only marvel at the dedication of the Osprey fans that kept this franchise alive by showing up here for five years while waiting for the new ballpark.
I can't rate this park too harshly because it was never meant to be a professional stadium and what it WAS built for, it serves quite nicely. The field is in great shape, the stands are clean and well-maintained and the mountain views are lovely. On the back of the main stand there are large baseball cards of each player on the local American Legion team, the Missoula Mavericks, the true tenants of Lindborg-Cregg Field.
This place probably deserves 1 dog as a professional ballpark and 4 dogs as a local amateur baseball stadium, so I will split the difference for a final rating of 2 and half.
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2019
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